A questionnaire survey the patient's views regarding drug information was carried on 941 outpatients from April 24 to May 10, 1997 at Fukuoka University Hospital. As a resutlt that drug information and compliance counseling was found to have been given by physicians (73%), Pharmacists (9%), both (7%) and nurses (3%). Thirty-two% of the patients showed a good understanding of the counseling and could correctly identify their medicines. Most patients who did not understand their medications very well wanted written information about the effects, side effects and drug interactions of the prescribed medicines. These patients requested physicians (75%), Pharmacists (13%) and both (9%) to give the drug information.
These results indicate that the present drug counseling to the outpatients is not sufficient. Increasted efforts by pharmacists are therefore still needed to enable patients to obtain appropriate information and thereby improve the overall effectiveness of drug therapy.
